Coopersville student heads for national academic games this month

Sitting from the left is Dan Scherphorn, Ian Wesoloski, Jacob Bronkema-Bekker, Trey Moore and Jack Culp. The standing row from left is Devin Moore, Annelise Droste, and Jordan Emmorey.
supplied photo

Teens love to compete in almost everything they do. For some it is about speed or athletic prowess and for some it is about out-thinking their opponents.

Jacob Bronkema-Bekker, a 15-year old Coopersville High School sophomore has excelled at both the state and national levels in the Academic Games.

The games, which are designed to stimulate thinking, are played much like many popular table games, with cards and/or dice with numbers or letters.

"Every roll of the dice and every move by the previous player changes the game," said coach and Jacob's mother Amy Bronkema. The difference is that in these games the player uses knowledge of geometry or linguistics and grammar rules to make his or her move. The games are played competitively against other school teams at Saturday tournaments and invitationals,.

In the games of Onsets and Equations the dice include operation symbols and players make equations. "In these games, it is not just math, it is not just language, it is strategy," said Bronkema. "It is where venn diagrams meet chess."

Bronkema began coaching while Jacob was a student at Grand Rapids Public C.A. Frost Elementary in the fourth grade. "Some of the parents were looking for opportunities their children for their children to grow their learning in fun ways," said Koleta Moore, mother of brothers Trey and Devin Moore, who started Academic Games on Bronkema's team when they were also at C.A. Frost Elementary.

Members of that team have changed schools several times, but all have continued to work with Bronkema in the competition games that are much more popular on the east side of the state and in other areas of the country. Most of the monthly invitationals are held in Detroit or Ann Arbor, and according to Bronkema, besides her team, which is now known as the Grand Rapids Community team, there is only one other West Michigan team active in the game circuit.

The team awards are too numerous to count, but perhaps topping the Jacob's list is an individual award of being named second in the nation in Equations while he was in eighth grade.

As a team, the group has advanced to both the state and national tournament every year since beginning at C.A. Frost. Nationals are held in various parts of the country, and this year the team will travel to Charlotte. North Carolina for the April 26-29 games.

After C. A. Frost, all of the team members went to the Grand Rapids Public Zoo School and City Middle, but now Jacob is at Coopersville, the Moore brothers at Forest Hills Northern and the others at City High.

Getting together for practice and traveling to tournaments is special for the team members. "I like the challenge of seeing what other people can do, and I like finding ways to challenge myself," said Trey Moore. "And we all go to different high schools now, so practices and games are the only time I see them. It is a fun way to hang out."

"Academic Games has let me make new friends and stay in touch with old friends along with being able to miss school to travel to lots of different places," said Jacob.

But Jacob has another reason to continue Academic Games. "I play because I win," he said. "Doing it has help me increase math, language and memory skills, because in the games you got to know what you're going to do otherwise you are going to lose."

Jacob is also interested in music and all sorts of games. He is considering a career with a concentration in mathematics or physics and currently leaning toward financial planning and investing.